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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

As Miami New Times has chronicled life in the Magic City through the years, we've made some enemies. We have busted police officers, spread the word on crooked politicians, and even called out one of the world's biggest bloggers.

The TruTV reality series South Beach Tow hasn't been safe from our scrutiny, either. When it hit the airwaves in July of 2011, we dubbed it "the worst reality show ever." But America's viewers do not agree. South Beach Tow is the second highest rated program on the network. (And this writer counts herself among its fans.)

So with the premiere of the show's new season tonight, we chatted with one of its biggest stars, Christie Ashenoff, who's hosting a meet-and-greet party at South Beach Tiki Bar tonight. You know her as the self-proclaimed "wildly tattooed daughter" who tells the drivers which cars to tow -- and who has the dubious pleasure of dealing with the irate drivers when they come to collect their vehicles. She told us about the worst incidents at Tremont Towing, addressed allegations that the show is scripted, and even talked a little trash about New Times. (We guess we had it coming.)Cultist: I am shocked you were willing to talk to us after all the smack we talked about your show.Christie Ashenoff: Hey, no worries. You guys might hate our show, but I love your paper. I actually check MiamiNewTimes.com daily. But let's be honest: How seriously can I take a site that wrote up the Real Housewives of Miami every day last week?

I have to know -- How did South Beach Tow come about? We towed Simon Fields, Jennifer Lopez's right hand man, and he was less than pleased with us over it. Like, really less than pleased. He tells us that a few days later a light bulb went off in his head that if he lost his mind, that everyone else must too. The rest is history.

Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting executive producer Jennifer Lopez?I have not, but I'm hoping to. Her schedule is insane. The timing of our show, then her time on Idol,then touring with Enrique Iglesias. But she did invite us to her concert in Miami a few weeks ago and it was phenomenal.

Jennifer Lopezâs ex Ben Affleck says the year he was with the Puerto Rican superstar and filmed âGigliâ was probably the worst of his life.

Ouch!Â Â

In an in-depth interview for Details magazineâs October issue, the Hollywood actor/director, who is getting praise for his new film âArgo,â says back in 2003 he hit rock bottom.Â

âIf you were looking at that one-liner on me in 2003, [it] was definitely the annus horribilis,â Affleck told the publication.

âIn our culture, we get very much into shorthanding people,â he added. âI got shorthanded as That Guy: Jennifer Lopez, movies bombed, therefore he must be a sort of thoughtless dilettante, solipsistic consumer blahblahblah. It's hard to shake those sort of narratives.â

Affleck, who has settled down with fellow âDaredevilâ actress Jennifer Garner, with whom he has three children, says looking back heâs learned the importance of finding âyour compass,â both professionally and personally.

âPeople bring up 2003, and I get it. Jennifer Lopez, and 'Gigli,' and all this s**t just kind of blew up!â Affleck said. âA lot can happen. And a lot has for me.â

He says his Bennifer days âfeel like ancient history.â

âI made a bunch of movies that didn't work [and] I was ending up in the tabloids. I liked âSum of All Fears.â âDaredevilâ I didn't at all," he said. "Some movies should have worked and didn't.â

The Massachusetts native says he used directing as an escape route to the intense media scrutiny of his love life and his career.

âI just said, I don't want to do it anymore. This is horrible. I don't want to be in this spotlight, this glare, in this way. It's tawdry, it's ugly, it's oppressive, and it's inane," Affleck said. "So I'm going to try to get away.â

As for JLO, the starlet has been recently talking about her artistic evolution as well as her former flames and current boyfriend, Casper Smart.

âYou know when you are young you donât think about things. You just go through them,â Lopez told Katie Couric in an interview last week. âThen later you look back and you think âWhat theâ¦did that happen?â

âIt takes time to get there as women,â she added in reference to finding a healthy relationship. âWe are just trying to do it right. Like everyone else.â

Lopez, 43, who began dating Smart, 25, soon after announcing her divorce to salsa crooner Marc Anthony last year, says age is not an issue for her and her main squeeze.Â

âItâs hard for me to think of my age because I donât feel any different from when I first started in the business," she said. "I feel very youthful.â

She said she feels comfortable in her own skin.Â

âItâs funny, until somebody brings it up I donât think we think about it," she said. "We are just two people with similar interests and love a lot of the same things.â

Jennifer Lopez recently opened up about her divorce from ex Marc AnthonyÂ to Katie Couric on her new show Katie, according to UsMagazine.com. The duo were married in 2004 and have twins together â" Emme and Max. âYou never want to break up a family,â Lopez confessed in regards to coming to the conclusion that it was time to file for divorce. She thought very carefully, especially since the pair has two children. The former partners are doing their best to co-parent, even though they are no longer together. âWe love our kids and we have love for each other,â she revealed in regards to her current relationship with her ex. The star is currently dating Casper Smart, a choreographer who is 18 years her junior.Â

What are some things to consider before getting a divorce?

Cupidâs Advice:

Calling it quits on a marriage and filing for a divorce is a tough decision to make. Here are some things to keep in mind before taking that route:

1. A brighter future:Divorces are absolutions to marriages, which is a huge step. Make sure that youâre not just looking for an easy way out. If times are hard, they may get better in time. For better or worse and there might be better days in the future.Â

2. The repercussions: If there are children involved, especially younger children, itâs not going to be easy. Custody battles ensue as well as splitting money and properties. Make sure that you are prepared to deal with what is to come.

3. Communicate: Does your partner know how you are feeling? If you are sensing problems in your marriage, before filing for divorce see if they have similar views. Try to work things out before calling it quits.

What are some things you would consider before divorcing? Share with us in the comments below.

[Gossip] Ben Affleck Says Dating Jennifer Lopez Was The Lowest Point Of His LifePosted by Joseph LeeÂ on 09.18.2012

He made some bad choices...

In an interview with Details magazine, Ben Affleck said that the time period in which he dated Jennifer Lopez was the lowest point in his life. Here are highlights:

On the lowest point in his life and career: "In our culture, we get very much into shorthanding people. And I got shorthanded as That Guy: Jennifer Lopez, movies bombed, therefore he must be a sort of thoughtless dilettante, solipsistic consumer blahblahblah. It's hard to shake those sort of narratives. If you were looking at that one-liner on me in 2003, which was definitely the annus horribilis [laughs] of my lifeâ"it's funny how that rhymes with Sacha Baron Cohen's pronunciation of "ah-noose"â""

On the movies he selected then: "I made a bunch of movies that didn't work. I was ending up in the tabloids. I don't know what the lesson is, except that you just have to find your compass. I liked Sum of All Fears. Daredevil I didn't at all. Some movies should have worked and didn't. At a certain point, it's just up to the movie gods. Anyway, this image becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. And I just said, 'I don't want to do it anymore. This is horrible. I don't want to be in this spotlight, this glare, in this way. It's tawdry, it's ugly, it's oppressive, and it's inane. So I'm going to try to get away.'

And most of the way I did that was by not acting. I said, 'I'm going to steer myself toward directing. I'm going to do something that takes me toward a place where the work that I do is reflective of what I think is interesting dramatically.' People bring up 2003, and I get it. Jennifer Lopez, and Gigli, and all this shit just kind of blew up. But, you know, in 2003, Barack Obama was a state senator in Illinois! Okay?"

Looks like the science of T-shirts has finally been perfected in southern California, and Teeology is looking to share the fruits of their research in more ways than one.

Teeology is a new website that features T-shirts that will be sold directly from the manufacturers under the Teeology brand to consumers. For you, that means much lower prices on high-quality tees. How high of quality? Well, Jennifer Lopez is one of the lead curators of T-shirt designs for the site. I donât know Jennifer Lopez personally, but if I had to hazard a guess, Iâd say she doesnât usually associate with subpar products.

The website is being launched by two fashion entrepreneurs, MJ Eng and Brian Lee, and two clothing and apparel manufacturers, Erica Zohar and Jeff Marine. Together with a lineup of curators led by Lopez, the group will create and sell their own T-shirts. Thereâs one more crucial member of the production process, and that would be the fashion-forward public. Teeology will accept designs from anyone and everyone â" should your design be chosen, youâll get $500 worth of compensation. The curators pick out the best designs, then put them up for a public vote. The highest rated shirts will be manufactured and sold. Should you pre-order a tee that wins one of the votes, youâll be rewarded with free shipping. Democracy in action.

The people behind Teeology promise theyâll be using only the best materials, and everything will be printed and manufactured in Los Angeles. Tees will be mostly form-fitting, and will be sold starting at $29. You will need to sign up for a membership before you can buy anything, but the membership is free.